Office Devotions: Patiently Building - Mark 15:29-30

Mark 15:29-30            Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!"  

A massive digger has just been parked outside of my church study window. The contractors are getting the equipment in place in order to begin digging up the back yard of the church, so that we can lay the foundations of a new extension. A lot of the brush and some of the smaller trees at the back will, unfortunately, have to be dug up and destroyed in the process. This time next year, I’m going to have a completely different view from my office window.

I’m not very good with changes like this and the subsequent upheaval is going to command a lot of my patience. I know that the end results will be worthwhile; it’s just the current painstaking process that causes me problems. In order to build, something has to change. In order to grow, something has to be lost.

When the passers-by hurled their insults at Christ, they had no idea that God was beginning a new creation and that a new faith was being born. The people scorned Christ because it appeared as though He had let them down. They thought He was the Messiah who had come to rid them of the Romans and its Empire. In fact, Christ did do that but it took about 400 years to achieve. The passers-by wanted Christ to do it immediately. They weren’t prepared to wait and obviously thought that when Jesus died on the Cross, His mission and ministry were over.

But in the midst of the painstaking process of death by crucifixion, Jesus was saving the world and establishing His Church. God works in mysterious ways and there’s nothing more mysterious than creating new life in the midst of death. The old ways were being destroyed forever. The rites of sacrifice were over. Jesus laid down His life to the destruction of death in order to bring about pardon and forgiveness, resurrection and restoration to all who were willing to accept His sacrificial death and believe in His power to save them from their sins. He was patiently building salvation.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You destroyed the old ways of religion and gave birth to a new faith on the Cross. We are heirs to that blessing and we praise You for completing the painful process of salvation, so that we may be given the glorious opportunity of being restored to God forever. In Your Holy Name, we thankfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s drawing is John’s latest lighthouse print of the Nubble Lighthouse in Maine, USA. You can view a larger version of the drawing here: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1006/4597010807_503a3fe91d_b.jpg

Workplace Devotions: Breaking the Silence - Psalm 39 v 2

Psalm 39:2      But when I was silent and still, not even saying anything good, my anguish increased.

There are days when I worry about the state of the Church. I don’t mean the congregation that I serve (although I do have worrying days about it, too); I’m writing about the Presbyterian Church in general.

We seem to have lost our sense of direction because less people are becoming Presbyterians across the world. It’s almost as if we’ve reached the end of the line and that the Spirit of God has no current or future use for Presbyterians. We seem to be more driven by the culture than Christ. We appear to be shaped by what’s fashionable instead of being faithful.

I’ve tried to be quiet about this and not be overcome by zeal or emotions. But being impassive about the current church crisis doesn’t get us anywhere, and more and more Presbyterians seem to be going nowhere fast. In the past, I’ve blamed it on seminary training or generational culture, but in my heart I feel as though it’s something more: it’s about preaching, teaching, and living the truth. It all comes down to accepting Christ in our hearts and applying His words to our ways.

I don’t want to come across as being self-righteous or fiercely zealous. I am far from perfect and a terrible sinner. But I love being a Presbyterian Christian and my hearts bleeds for Presbyterians everywhere. I want to be part of a movement that can positively turn the tide and help Presbyterians become effective and influential again. I honestly believe that Presbyterians have the capacity to win the hearts and minds of post-modern people for Christ. If only we would stop shooting ourselves in the foot!

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, thank You for the rich history of Presbyterianism throughout the world. We pray that You will allow an outpouring of Your Holy Spirit to be experienced by all of us, so that we can effectively and powerfully represent Your Message, Gospel, and Kingdom. Grant us the courage to speak out against what is wrong and stand up for what is right. In Your Holy Name, we faithfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is John’s latest drawing called Summer Pond. You can view a larger version online at the following link: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3603/4567015382_9a7de36909_b.jpg

Office Devotions: Accepting Jesus - Luke 4 v 24

Luke 4:24 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.”

We live in a strange age. Our society and civilization, our culture and traditions have all been shaped, established, and blessed by Christianity. The freedoms we share have been formed by the faith we once held dear. In fact, if we were to erase Christianity from the last two thousand years of history, most of us would be serfs or slaves, ignorant and illiterate, cruelly treated and cast aside.

That’s what makes the living of these days very strange because Western society, in Europe and the Americas, is turning its back upon Christ, the true Founder of our freedoms and faith. It’s as if today’s verse from Luke could be rewritten to read: “No Savior is accepted in His world.”

Jesus lived and died almost two thousand years ago, but His Spirit still captivates most of the religious hearts and minds in other places throughout the world. Africa is a prime example of this. At the beginning of the 20^th century, 9% of the population was Christian and 36% were Islamic. A hundred years later, when we reached the year 2000, 40% of the African population was Islamic and over 44% of the population was Christian. The same thing is happening in China, where it has been estimated that by 2030 1.5 billion people will be Christians. Christ’s Church is growing at a rapid rate throughout the Earth, and yet on His home turf of Western Society people are forgetting what they really owe to His words and ways, His godliness and Gospel.

This morning our church has been closed due to the icy weather, so our people at Erin cannot collectively worship God. But for those of you who are reading this today, I want to say “Thank You” for taking time to accept Jesus into your heart and homes through the reading of God’s Word and the blessing of His Spirit.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, enable us to reconnect to Your words and ways, to find the time to rekindle our faith in order to make a recommitment to You. Help us to remember past days when we have needed You in our lives and the times that we have worshiped in our hearts and homes, as well as in our churches and cherished holy places. Thank You for being the Savior of our souls and the Lord of our lives. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s picture is John’s latest drawing called “Moonlight over Maybole West,” featuring his first parish church. If you would like to see a larger version of the picture, please click on the following link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/traqair57/4317958402/sizes/l/

Office Devotions: Everlasting Words Acts 6 v 10

Acts 6: 10        But they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.

Some people believe that we are living in a post-Christian world where Christ’s ways and words are losing their effectiveness in society and throughout the globe. In places like Britain and all over Europe, secularism is increasing and churches are emptying. People believe more in themselves and get what they want out of life, rather than taking guidance from God or experiencing Christ’s grace.

One thing that I have noticed is that when people become more secular they also become more selfish. The law of the jungle and survival of the fittest take the place of God’s laws and faith in Christ. Greed overrides need; vanity replaces charity; and the love of money overtakes love of God.

Some churches cave in and surrender to secularism and become community centers with small chapels. Some Christians give up on God and follow the maddening crowd. Others become spiritually paralyzed and don’t know what to believe in or do.

Those churches and Christians who remain are the ones who seek God’s wisdom and look to the Holy Spirit to inspire and lead them. They do not stand still nor do they stop growing faithfully and spiritually. They know that Christ’s words are everlasting and no matter how hard the secularists try to kill off Christ, they will not succeed. Christ’s mission and ministries have faced this all before, and once again the Church will reform, revive and be resurrected. The world, society, and the devil may attempt to inflict wounds upon the Church, but they cannot prevail against God’s wisdom, Christ’s ways, or the works of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, the world may try to ignore You, but it cannot eradicate Your Presence. Society may seek to diminish Your disciples, but it cannot halt Your mission. The devil may even try to cause havoc throughout the Church, but Your ministry will always prevail. Thank You for Your power and we give glory to Your Everlasting Name. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Office Devotions: Outside the Box

Psalm 37: 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this.

Our congregation is about to embark on a new adventure. We are trying to raise $1 million in order to renovate our church in such a way that the next generation of church members will not face mounting bills which will limit their mission. We’ve come a long way to get here and sometimes people don’t truly understand how much effort it takes to keep a church growing.

During the last fourteen years, we’ve seen a steady increase at Erin. In contrast, our denomination (PCUSA) and Presbytery have been diminishing. Previous pastors had followed the denominational path and subsequently the church stopped growing. Erin took a great risk in 1995 when I was invited to be the pastor because my thinking would usually be outside of the denominational box.

I know that throughout the years some people have left because I don’t toe the denominational line, but my response to them is this: would you have rather had a mediocre church that was dying, or would you prefer a church that has constantly grown and has a dynamic future?

I’ve mentioned before that our wee church is at a major crossroads. We stand at the threshold of a new and vibrant future, but in order to progress forward we need to get over the past. If I’m expected to totally give of myself to this campaign and this church, then I cannot keep looking back. I’m committing my way to the LORD and focusing on the future of this congregation. I firmly believe that if everyone else gets on board, then God will truly do great things here.

Finally, I had lunch with the local Presbytery Executive last week and he sees how important our work is at Erin. He asked me to consider being a part of the New Development Strategy for Presbyterian churches in our area. Toeing the denominational line has not helped to grow our local churches. He wants someone involved who can “think outside the box.” I see that as an affirmation of what I have tried to accomplish here with the people of Erin and by the Spirit of God. It’s nice to have a PCUSA representative officially recognize what’s happening here. Maybe we can help other churches to do the same.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the One who permits churches to grow and Your Holy Spirit’s presence is essential for those congregations who would grow in the future. Without You, we are just another religious club trying to keep afloat. Help us to think outside of the box and go outside of our church in order to find where Your Spirit is working in the midst of our community. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.